Aftershock

Ninety-six

’Gregor,’ Skinner asked, ‘can you see any way that we can try Dražen Boras in Scotland rather than England?’

‘I wish I could, Bob,’ the procurator fiscal replied, ‘but I can’t think of a precedent for it. He committed both murders in England; that’s where he has to be tried. If anything, history undermines you. The Lockerbie bomb wasn’t planted in Scotland, but it exploded here and the victims died here, so this is where the Libyans were tried.’

The DCC paused to consider the point. ‘Could we argue,’ he continued, ‘that DI Steele was a Scottish police officer in hot pursuit, as part of an investigation into crimes committed in Scotland? Let the English try Boras for the Ballester murder, fair enough, but could we have him for Stevie?’

‘I could put that argument forward,’ Gregor Broughton conceded, ‘but it would be risky, even if I won. If he was prosecuted in the High Court, his counsel would probably argue absence of jurisdiction before the trial even got under way. If the judge overruled him that decision would be subject to scrutiny, and might be set aside. You have the probability, maybe the near certainty, of a conviction in Newcastle, or wherever they try him, and the real possibility of an acquittal in Scotland.’

Skinner sighed into the phone. ‘Okay, they can have him.’

‘A wise decision, especially if you want to maintain friendly relations with your colleagues in Northumberland.’

‘That’s not an issue. I spoke to Les Cairns, my opposite number, last night. He’d have done the same thing in my shoes, and we both know it. The way things stand, he’ll take all the credit, having done bugger-all of the hard work. All he has to do is send a couple of officers down here to collect Boras, once the court formalises his extradition.’

‘And all you have to do is get on the plane. . or are you and Mario taking another day or two down there?’

‘Hell, no! He has to get back to deal with a very shocked Shadow Defence Secretary. Me, I have to. . I just have to get back, that’s all. Things to do.’

‘Mr Colledge, QC? Yes, I have the papers on my desk, ready for a remand hearing in an hour or so. I must say, if he thought he was representing his son’s interests during that interview, he made a real Horlicks of it, allowing the lad to confess on tape.’

‘From what I’ve been told, his confession was all over the clothing he dumped.’

‘Oh, yes, he’s had it, no doubt about that. Daddy’s already asked for a meeting with the Lord Advocate.’

‘Gavin’s not going to agree, is he?’

‘No, no. He’s referred him to me; I’m seeing him this afternoon. I know how it will go. He’ll ask me about a plea bargain, and I’ll tell him that I can only discuss that with his son’s legal team.’

‘He wants to see Mario and me too, to go over the evidence once again.’›

‘Are you going to do that?’

‘He is; I’m not. Like I said, I have other things on my plate.’

‘Yes.’

Skinner sensed the fiscal’s hesitancy. ‘What’s up, chum?’ he asked.

‘I was just wondering whether those things might include the backwash from a call I had this morning, from a Scotsman journalist.’

‘What did he want?’

‘He asked me about you. He said that the redtops may be getting ready to run a story about you being implicated in two investigations, one being run by your own force and the other by the police in Spain. The suggestion is that you’ve been informally suspended.’

‘What did you tell him?’

‘After I’d picked myself off the floor and got my laughter under control I told him to bugger off.’

‘Thanks, Gregor.’

‘Somebody’s making mischief for you, Bob.’

‘Don’t I know it,’ Skinner replied. ‘Someone close, too: I can sense it. There is nothing worse than being betrayed by a friend.’